Midway Elementary Students Learn Chinese New Year Customs

EDWARDSVILLE - Chelsey Phipps’ first-grade class at Midway Elementary School in Edwardsville recently marked Chinese New Year with an in-class lesson that introduced students to traditions associated with the holiday, according to a post from Edwardsville School District #7 and Midway Elementary School.

The lesson took place in Edwardsville School District #7 at Midway Elementary and was led by Phipps, who “spent five years teaching in China” and shared “firsthand experiences and traditions,” the post said. The activity focused on Chinese New Year customs and cultural learning.

As part of the lesson, students were given mandarin oranges, which the post said “hold special significance during Chinese New Year” and “symbolize good luck and prosperity.”

Phipps also gave each student a traditional red envelope, known as “hongbao,” described in the post as gifts during the New Year, as a symbol of good wishes and luck. Inside, students found “a coin, symbolizing prosperity and success,” along with stickers.

The celebration concluded with students creating their own lanterns. “Lanterns are often displayed during Chinese New Year festivals,” the post said.

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. It takes place from Chinese New Year’s Eve through the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year.

The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 each year.

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